LEWISTON – More than 20 laid-off Geiger workers could qualify for federal job training and other services if approved by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Earlier this month, Geiger submitted a petition for Trade Adjustment Assistance, the federal program that helps workers who lose jobs due to foreign competition.
Executive vice president Pete Geiger said 22 people were laid off from the company’s Lewiston plant this year. Workers at the plant manufacture pocket day planners, among other products. Competition from China, Korea and other countries – where production costs are significantly lower – have hurt sales here.
“We know of some business that we have lost to foreign competition,” he said. “Now we’re just trying to make sure these people get the assistance they deserve.”
If the petition goes through, the workers will be eligible for a range of services, from employment counseling to health insurance tax credits. The program provides for up to two years of occupational training and cash allowances.
U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe boosted Geiger’s petition by sending a letter of endorsement to Elaine Chao, Labor Department secretary.
“Like many manufacturers in Maine, Geiger is feeling the harsh effects of foreign competition,” Snowe wrote in the April 3 letter. “These workers need immediate alternative employment in order to assimilate into the current work force.
“As you know, manufacturing positions are few in number in this market, causing many to consider retraining, but above all, requiring employment services from the Maine Department of Labor. An approved TAA petition for these workers would be of tremendous help to them in finding their way back to a secure income.”
The U.S. Department of Labor has 40 days to review petitions.
Several companies in Maine, representing hundreds of workers, have been TAA certified since the program began in the mid-1970s. Last year, C.B. Cummings & Sons of Norway and Acorn Products of Lewiston were just a few of the participating firms.
Geiger is best known as publisher of the Farmers’ Almanac, the folksy weather forecaster and guide to everyday living that has been a New England staple for nearly two centuries.
The bulk of the company’s business, though, comes through promotional products – such as calendars and pencils personalized for firms and individuals. Geiger operates through 23 offices across the country.
Of roughly 425 total employees in Lewiston, more than half have office jobs. But the manufacturing plant remains active, with about 200 workers. The company is the last one in the United States making this variety of pocket date planner, Geiger said.
Seeking to trim costs, the company probably will import more of its manufacturing components from overseas, he added.
“We were founded 125 years ago as a manufacturing company,” Geiger said. “We’re trying to keep that side of the business, to stay true to our roots.”
tmaxwell@sunjournal.com
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